I have never been duck hunting and would like to. I have a new gun that shoot's 3 1/2's if i need to. What are the better shells and shot size for ducks? I have a buddy that has all the decoys and stuff so it should be fun this year. I hear it's very addicting.

There is a poster named "kamo gari" who is a true expert waterfowl hunter. He shoots waterfowl under conditions that normal human beings avoid so he has to be an expert -only fanatics really know their fixation - and his is shooting waterfowl. (Don't be put off by my kidding - he really does know his business -and I would rather have you take your beginner's advice from him than from anyone I know)

I shoot a lot of ducks and geese, and turkeys, and have never felt that a 3.5" shell was needed, and don't own a gun that will shoot one. For ducks I use Winchester Dry-Lock 3" #3's. (Steel) Not interested in paying for anything any higher-priced than these, and they do a great job.

Steve

I'm not sure if i'd need more than 3" but if i ever do i've got it. My other gun is only 2 3/4. I have a beretta 682 gold that will shoot 3" but i think i'll be toteing that to a duck blind anytime soon. I got a great deal on the Benelli.

I buy a couple of cases of Fiocchi 3.5" every year for $149 delivered from rogerssportinggoods.com......used to buy Kent Fasteel but it's not worth the extra $50. If most of your ducks are shot in tight you can use #4 o/w I'd get a case of #2 and a case of BB and you're ready for anything.

This is a topic that can be beaten to death.....but if you find a load that patterns well buy a case and stick with it.....if you buy different shells with different fps every time, it's bound to throw you off.

Do you really need 3.5" Probably not....but who cares.....I just like it.

Many people seem to think that a duck is a large bird, but in reality it is quite small. Ducks over decoys are shot at relatively close range and a open choke is preferred. My shotgun is chambered for 2 3/4 shells and I use a 32g load of English 7's for shooting over decoys. My gun has fixed M/F chokes which are abit tight. 1/4 and 1/2 would be ideal, but only when shooting over decoys. My best bag of 45 Egyptian geese was taken 6 years ago with my 'light' 32g loads. Happy Hunting!

I use 3" 1¼ oz. of steel #2s over decoys with an improved cylinder choke.

Thanks guys, I like 3.5" as well. On sat 2 buddys and i shot 4 rounds of skeet and i shot 2 of them useing Winchester super X 3.5" #8. That was a ball, shot the last 2 with AA Target loads as normal. We had a ball

My goto home loads for steel is 1 3/16 in a 2 3/4" hull with steel shot from 3.8mm/2s to Bs 4.2mm for the geese with either factory 1/2 choke or a .675 terror

Shoot what you like BUT there is no reason why you can't be a very effective duck killer with 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz shells as long as you select the right pellet size for the duck type you are shooting and as long as you are using the right choke to maintain minimum effective pattern densities at the distance you shoot your ducks! Of course, it should go without saying that if you can't put the pattern on the front end of the duck then little else matters so you must practice so you'll be able to handle your end of this duck killin' business!!!

For teal or mallards over the decoys (20-40 yards) a #4 steel pellet with an IC choke can be very deadly. When shots start getting a little longer or for late season mallard only shooting the #2 steel pellet and a Mod. choke is usually a good combo. Yes, #3 steel is a great all-around duck pellet but I usually just go with #4s or #2s, depending on the situation, or I have a couple of #4s in for the first two close shots and finish with a #2 for the last longer shot.

Take your load/choke to the pattern board to find out what it/they will do at the distance you shoot your birds and adjust accordingly. I'll give you a few of my gun’s pattern numbers so you can see what you might get, but you still need to pattern your gun/chokes/loads because they may differ. Remember, for mallards you only need about 100 pellet strikes in the 30" pattern to be effective and for little ducks about 150.

Remington 870 SP 12-Gauge 3" w/ 28" barrel and factory flush Rem-chokes (patterns average of five, 30" post-shot scribed circle, yardage taped muzzle to target, and in-shell pellet count average of five).

30 YARDS IC
Sportsman Steel 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz #4 steel (218 pellets) – pattern 181 (83%)
Sportsman Steel 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz #2 steel (139 pellets) – pattern 120 (86%)

40 YARDS Mod
Sportsman Steel 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz #4 steel (218 pellets) – pattern 150 (69%)
Sportsman Steel 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz #2 steel (139 pellets) – pattern 110 (79%)

Nothing fancy here, an 870 with factory flush chokes and Remington Sportsman shells but as you can see from the pattern numbers, those are dead ducks if I do my part and put the pattern on their front end!

Good luck.

Only thing I find objectionable about Joe Hunter's post is that he shoots an 870.

Norton -- Would you find it any less objectionable if I told you I often take my Citori to the blind and shoot ducks and geese with it?

FYI -- Here are some pattern numbers from my 12-gauge Citori w/ 28" Invector-Plus barrels using Briley flush chokes with my preferred decoying duck chokes and loads (patterns average of five, 30" post-shot scribed circle, yardage taped muzzle to target, and in-shell pellet count average of five).

30 YARDS
Sportsman Steel 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz #4 steel (218 pellets) -- SK / 176 (81%)
Sportsman Steel 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz #2 steel (139 pellets) -- SK / 116 (84%)

40 YARDS
Sportsman Steel 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz #4 steel (218 pellets) -- M / 159 (73%)
Sportsman Steel 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz #2 steel (139 pellets) -- M / 114 (82%)

Once again, dead ducks if I do my part.

Good luck.

iceman, if you're hunting over decoys you don't need a big magnum or large shot. I hunt ducks exclusively over decoys, and for the last 27-28 years have been shooting a 2 3/4" Beretta A302, shooting 1 1/8 to 1 1/4 oz. loads, usually 4-6 shot.

If money is not a problem, shoot Hevishot, if it is, then I personally like Kent Faststeel. You do NOT need a 3 1/2" magnum to kill ducks very efficiently.

Joe H: You must have a nice, dry blind that you can walk to....because my Citori doesn't dare go where I hunt.

Just joking about the 870(but you knew that). I prefer semis(inertia-driven only ).....but what do I know? I have been looking for a stainless/synthetic O/U for fowling but haven't been able to locate one as yet.

quote:

stainless/synthetic O/U for fowling

Ruger (no longer made) but here's one that sounds good and is pretty reasonable.........

Ruger Stainless O/U

I should or should have bought one, but I stick with my 101s and they just have to stand it.

BTW "best shells" (money no object)=anything with hevi-shot

"best choke"=absolutely depends on what and where you're hunting, can be anything from improved cylinder to extra full (or the equivalent pattern using hevi-shot)

Norton -- I do hunt from a blind sometimes but I also hunt other places not so nice.

I try to take care of all my guns but I do want to use them without abusing them. No doubt, there are some hunts that are tougher on equipment than others so there are times when I take the 870.

I find there are very few hunts I can't take the O/U on if I'm mindful but I don't like taking it when I know it's going to rain!

Good luck.

Gato.....thanks, looks like I'll be buying that one.....appreciate it.

JH....if I pick up this synth O/U I won't have to worry so much.

Damn, the gun sold already!

Norton:

There are a couple available on Gunbroker, one I think might be a bit "used hard and put up wet" and the other is too high IMO, but the point is, be patient, they're available.

BTW I sympathise, I'm the world's worst about "gotta have it now", probably comes from being an only child.....

My Benelli says anything tighter than modified with steele shot is not recomended.

Gato.....I see both on there.....did you mean the one for $950 looks "put up wet"(and how can you tell)? Thanks

Norton:

Well, first of all, I overlaid 2 different guns in my mind, the other, which I was mostly thinking of, was on another site, and had more problems. That one on GB, currently $950, which is actually on my watch list since we started talking about them, seems to me like it's got a few scratches and a bit more drag marks on the sides of the barrels than I'd like, but I'm not that familiar with Ruger O/Us and it will likely be fine. I think it would be a good buy around a $1000 give or take. The only other thing to mention is barrel length, they are 28 inches which is more or less the same length that I shoot in my 101 but some might want a longer barrel for duck work. Obviously shooter preference.

Completely unrelated but those wide open spaces on the sides of that Ruger stainless receiver are begging for some good American scroll or similar, not to mention a good wood stock...... of course, then you might not want it to be a duck gun. Problems, problems....

Norton -- Keep trying you'll find one eventually.

iceman -- Chances are you won't need anything any tighter than a Mod. Just go shoot a few patterns at the distance you normally shoot to see what it will do with your ammo.

Good luck.

Gato....thanks for the input.....I'll put a bid in on it.

Norton:

You may or may not know that GB has the "15 minute rule" which means that any bid in the last 15 minutes extends the time allowed for bidding before the auction closes for 15 minutes from the time of that bid. IMO it is in your best interests to bid in the last 16 minutes of an auction and be prepared to bid again up to your maximum bid (which you need to have fixed in your mind, give or take). Everyone has their own theories of winning auctions but mine revolves around giving the other person the least amount of time possible to decide whether or not to outbid me. YMMV.

Gato.....I didn't know that about the auctions.....makes sense to do it that way though....I'll let you know how it turns out....Thanks again.

PS. Icemanls2....sorry for hijacking your thread

quote:

Originally posted by Gerrypeters375:
There is a poster named "kamo gari" who is a true expert waterfowl hunter. He shoots waterfowl under conditions that normal human beings avoid so he has to be an expert -only fanatics really know their fixation - and his is shooting waterfowl. (Don't be put off by my kidding - he really does know his business -and I would rather have you take your beginner's advice from him than from anyone I know)

Thanks for the flattery, friend, but I'm no expert. Fanatical, well, OK, that shoe fits.
I got into the hunting game relatively late in life, sadly, but I cut my teeth on waterfowl and have hunted them most years upwards of 100 days a season. That said, Joe Hunter's advice is excellent, and I've little to add to what he offered. PATTERN YOUR GUN so you know what it likes in all loads and chokes you eventually use to hunt with. It really, really matters.

There hasn't yet been a duck made that'll absorb a properly launched 2.75" load of fast 4s in steel inside 30 yards from a 12 bore (barring the big seaducks, I daresay). That said, I shoot 3" 4s and 2s, depending on the kind of hunting I'm doing. BBs for some goose applications and seaducking, if the situation calls for it. And while I agree that Hevi-shot. Tungsten Matrix and other 'designer' loads kill extremely well, I've been content to kill ducks with steel (I shoot loads travelling at least 1450 fps).

Gerry, I may have posted this before, and if so, apologies, but following one of your comments, I offer but this pic. Norty and I saw the sign at a socked in, frozen ramp in coastal NH. As the wind was howling, the seas angry and the air temps at -10F temp, we decided to pack up our gear and turn for home. OK, so I'm lying. Fun day that was. Until then I'd never seen Redman tobacco juice freeze to a guy's face.



Anyway, welcome to the fraternity; early goose season is only about 5 months away.

KG
It was not "flattery" - but a simple state ment of fact. You hunt waterfowl -and how! Who else would I refer the poster to? (Oh, Lord, I ended a sentence with a preposition - and you are from MA where there are so many academics that I understand the US Census has a special added group to ferret out them all. (BTW, I really deeply sympathize with your grief at losing the first series of the season with the indomitable Yankees. If you believe that, I also have a bridge down here in Brooklyn on which I can give you a good deal!) Anyway, regards.

KG

I forgot to comment on the posted sign -and yes, I did note your comments about temperature and wind on your morning excursion with Norton. I have always maintained that there is an absolute divide between shooters of "puddle ducks" (like me -after the sun was up and I had a proper breakfast -we had a brook at the foot of the hill below our house and my luck was sporadic but always enjoyable, hit or miss -mallards usually, but also sometimes teal - I had the impression (lifelong) that the teal were a bit smarter - I used to walk slowly in the brook and often came around a small bend (me hidden by brush on the bank) and caught mallards,who, of course, always flew when they saw me -but the teal always flew before I could even begin to think about getting the shotgun up)) and you blind hunters. For the same reason I have always said that the ruffed grouse is the king of game birds -because he is a civilized bird who gets up only after the sun is up -and,never,never, ventures out in bad weather. I shot ruffs on sunlit upland slopes in shirt sleeves. Now how much more poetic can that be as compared to several guys in a boat -each caked with ice - along with the dog - just to shoot a bird that doesn't taste good unless a French chef handles him. (Ruffed grouse breasts in a fry pan with some cooking wine are really what eating "game" is about -and to enjoy. (Lord, I love to tease Bosox fans!)

Federal Premium buffered #5...Full choke...

OOPS I forgot...Lead has been outlawed!!!

I used to hunt ducks in the timber a lot. Also hunted all other habitat types but being in Arkansas, I prefer the timber. I am legally blind now with only about 2 degrees vision so I go out some to call but mostly leave the gun at home, unless the ducks are really thick.

If you haven't a lot of heavy shotgun shooting experience, then I would set the 3.5 inch shells aside and use 2.75 or 3 inch Drylock or Kent Faststeel in #2,3,or 4. I have seen some stout shooters develop a bad flinch shooting a pump and 3.5's. I fired one out of a Mossberg one time and that was it for me.

Like one of the above posters, I used a Beretta 302 A that a guy gave me and it was a nice gun, but mostly used my 1100's or a 20 gauge Ruger Red Label.

Start out with Improved Cylinder choke and with experience, move to modified or improved modified. The tighter choke will increase your effective range a bit.

If you can afford them, nothing I have ever shot is more potent than Hevi-Shot. Two years ago with my best friend we called ducks to the water on public owned flooded timber (Bayou Meto) and I was pole-axing mallards out to 40 yards with a 20 ga. modified choke and #7.5 Hevi-Shot I found on sale. Light recoil and devastating killing power. I cannot follow ducks in the air so I have to land them and shoot the head. We don't use decoys. This was the first time I duck hunted in 4 years, but there were just too many birds not to go. I went out a few times this year to call and slosh the water but mostly left the gun at home. It is a sport that can ruin marriages and other facets of your life if not careful.

You really got some good advice from the guys about patterning, practicing, shot size, etc.

You really have to go out and see what works for you, but for now, I would start with something with less recoil than the 3.5's. Most hunters are average shots and don't have the shooting experience skills to take advantage of their full potential. Merg

quote:

Originally posted by merganser1:
I cannot follow ducks in the air so I have to land them and shoot the head. We don't use decoys.

Mr. Norton, I know it sounds kind of crazy but I only have 2-3 degrees of peripheral vision and still hunt. When I raise my gun to shoot one flying, it is out of my vision field before I can shoot. I could probably kill ducks in the air in an open field situation but I don't like field hunting.

When calling I will try to focus only on one small group or a single duck. If they are working well to the call, we wait till they light in range and I bust mine while they are sitting, usually just one mallard at a time per group. Meanwhile my buddy is smoking them as they lift out.

If we use decoys they are apt to get shot up and I don't like carrying them around in the timber. Once you put them out you tend to stay in that place. Sometimes just moving 100 yards will make a difference whether the mallards will come in through the trees or just circle around and light away from the calling.

Many times there will be ducks lighting around me that I do not see while I am working the ducks that I can see. If they start lifting out my buddy will go on and take them if he is not finished with his limit.

Some days when I am not seeing well at all or there are not enough ducks, I just let my friend take the lead with the calling and I can tell how I need to be calling by listening to him.

Shooting is not a priority with me anymore; I still just love wading in shallow timber, calling, and just being out there. If I take a shot, it is well calculated and I only carry a gun when hunting with my best friend and no one else. We've been at it together for many years. Merg

Understood, Merg......important thing, as you said, is that you're still out there. And you won't hear me gripe if you sluice 'em on the deck!

True story:

Some years ago, I was duck hunting with a friend of mine, an All-American Team Trap Shooter, who guided in Nebraska on the Platte River in the off (non-trap shooting) season. A typical bluebird day so we were talking and he told of the group of trucking executives he had just guided from Arkansas. He had, and we were hunting out of, this elephant sized blind, which would accomodate at least 6 hunters.....BTW not my cup of tea, been there, done that, won't go back......but Frank and I were hunting alone this trip. At any rate, he had this group of Arkansans and he worked a pretty big group of mallards in by calling, got them into range and called, "Take 'em!" 4 of the 5 hunters stood up and blasted away. One just set there.......when the shooting was over with, he looked around in wonder and said (you'll have to mentally fill in a backwoods Arky accent)....."Y'all shoot 'em in the AIR?"

quote:

Originally posted by Norton:
Understood, Merg......important thing, as you said, is that you're still out there. And you won't hear me gripe if you sluice 'em on the deck!

Big +1. Give 'em hell, fellah.

Norton and Kamo,

Thanks for the boost guys. I was taught by who I think was the best caller of mallards I have ever seen and he told me to be sure and pass it on. So I try to.

One of my best friends married his daughter in 1974. We didn't know her dad ever hunted or fished very much. The father-in-law had quit hunting/ guiding in 1962 when the limit was only two ducks. When he found out that his new son-in-law owned a parcel of Jacob's Lake located between DeWitt AR and Gillett AR he became interested in doing some hunting again as that was and still is at times one hell of a good place.

We were the typical cocky ducks hunters in our young twenties who had done a fair amount of hunting and thought we were pretty good. Some of our bunch had won several calling contests at Stuttgart where they grew up.

Well, when my buddy's father-in-law comes along and starts making all sorts of wierd squeeking sounds and loud racket on his Olt, we kind of laughed until we saw the ducks dive bombing us from the middle of the lake. We really didn't know what to think cause our Chick Major Dixie Mallard calls sounded so sweet and pretty, but the ducks did not always respond. He told us to get rid of those things and learn to blow an Olt. My friend and I did, and once you master one of those things, nothing else will do. They are kind of like loading for a rifle. Each person has to modify the call for himself. He taught us that and how to build blinds and set decoys correctly in what we call open water using foot operated jerk cords and all sorts of other stuff about duck hunting.

When I started working at Bayou Meto WMA, I became very good friends with that man and we wound up hunting a lot together, just him and me on Bayou Meto and lots of other places. When lung cancer started restricting his air volume, he would ask me to help him call when he was invited to call for some good clubs. It was a great honor for me to stand nearby and back him up so he wouldn't get overly winded.

Cancer got him within just a few years, but I would visit him when he was confined to his house, and still learn lots of stuff. He passed a lot on but took plenty with him too.

Never pass an opportunity to hunt or fish with an older man and never pass an opportunity to take a kid or younger man and teach them something. Merg

Good stuff, merg......love hearing anything that echoes of vintage duck hunting lore. I've heard from others that love their Olt calls.....and IIRC they are now being made again.

I've had excellant luck shooting Kent #3 steel, 3", out of modified choke. If I can find the Kent brand shells, I don't see a need to pay for bismuth or heavy shot, although they are excellant.